Construction projects will upgrade the main route to the Port of Liverpool and create a new junction on the M56 near Runcorn.
Detailed designs for both projects will now be developed, with construction work expected to start by spring 2020.
A new three-mile dual carriageway between the motorway network and the port will take freight away from residential areas on the A5036, which Highways England says has been identified as being the 10th most congested road in England.
The bypass will serve the existing port as well as the new £300m deep-water container terminal, which is expected to triple the port’s volume of goods by 2030.
The new junction 11a on the M56 will provide a link to the new Mersey Gateway bridge between Runcorn and Widnes.
The new £250m dual carriageway bypass through the Rimrose Valley will connect Princess Way to Broom’s Cross Road. A new roundabout, controlled by traffic lights, will also be built at the junction connecting Broom’s Cross Road, Brickwall Lane and the new bypass. And Broom’s Cross Road will be upgraded to a dual carriageway from the new roundabout to Switch Island, where the A5036 connects with the M57 and M58.
The new £60m M56 junction will be built between junctions 11 and 12, and will provide a more direct route to the M56 from south Runcorn as well as connecting to the Mersey Gateway bridge.
Highways England regional delivery director Tim Gamon said: “Both these major road schemes will help to bring significant economic benefits to the northwest and we’re now at the stage where we can set out our preferred options for the projects.
“The new bypass will take the existing traffic away from the A5036 as well as managing the significant increase in vehicle numbers that are anticipated with the port’s growth. We’re also committed to making improvements to the existing A5036 as part of the scheme that will benefit people who live and work in the area.
“The new junction on the M56 will also benefit local residents by taking traffic away from residential areas as well as providing a new route to the Mersey Gateway bridge – an important new link between Cheshire and Merseyside.”
More details on the projects are available at www.highways.gov.uk/roads/road-projects/a5036-port-of-liverpool-access and www.highways.gov.uk/projects/m56-new-junction-11a
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